Ever since President Richard Nixon declared war on drugs in 1971, we've heard much talk about America's drug-prevention initiatives. Each year, billions of dollars are spent on keeping illegal substances out -- and reducing drug use nationwide. However, some argue the battle is ineffective or perhaps even counter-productive. Is this effort worth continuing, or is it time to search for alternatives?
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Treatment is the Answer
- From Drug Policy Alliance
By Drug Policy Alliance - Reason. Compassion. Justice.
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treatment still involves law enforcement
I agree that treatment rather than incarceration should be used for those possessing a drug, but that still involves arresting people for possession and offering them treatment as most people who have a substance abuse problem will not go into treatment on their own. Your assessment says that many people prefer to pay a fine rather than choose treatment for low level possession. If any drug were to be legalized, the chances of these people getting treatment would be lowered as the incentive of not going to prison would be reduced.
I've been involved in seeing options for juvenile treatment, and in my county they are very inadequate and don't work well. We need much better treatment programs. These treatment programs are cheaper than prison but still cost money , so prevention is better than treatment because once someone is addicted, the addiction persists.
Strong law enforcement for those who supply drugs should still be a part of the solution as well--legalization sends a mixed message and manufacturers will no doubt want to promote their products--so no to legalization.
- Lynn9
June 6, 2009 5:41AM
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Side: Yes
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The "real" problem is...
In your country all of these programs are dependent on and ensconced in for-profit endeavors with little regard for the health and safety at large. The drug problem is caused by human nature (i.e. biology, psychology, sociology), but only the US Justice System can grow the problem to the epically proportioned failure our policy is today.
If the FDA had the resources to do its actual job (regulating content and practices in production of food and drugs) a great deal of the statistics bandied about to paint some of these drugs as dangerous (particularly MDMA and THC) would not even exist. Even some of the more villainous drugs, like cocaine have hardly caused the problems its mythological status maintains. High Fructose Corn Syrup has probably caused more damage. (Yeah, I know its just sugar, still...)
- Submariner June 12, 2009 4:30PM
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Side: No
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Nonsense - law enforcement is brutal and wasteful
Having worked in addiction treatment and with drug users not in treatment for decades I can say this notion of needing law enforcement or any other 'stick' type motivation is insane! The wast majority of persons with problematic drug use are very interested in good treatment and are often immediately ready to go to such!!
What anyone who believes in treatment needs to understand is that you have to have resources to operate it and using said resources on arrest, adjudication and incarceration makes sure that insufficient resources are available for treatments. In Illinois, we spend three times in incarceration of non-violent drug offenders what we spend on all treatment combined. While brutalizing thousands of people via the criminal justice system I cannot get people into treatment who desperately want it! Does this system make sense to you?
Please remember that the addiction treatment system is relatively young and being early in development it is prone to many errors -- one of the most common such errors now is operating in a fashion that mistreats and alienates participants, often ignoring evidence-based practices and hell bent on financial gain. In time, programs will look to science for guidance and be extremely healthy and useful so it makes sense to support them in this process.
- Chicago Recovery Alliance July 9, 2009 10:52AM
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Side: No
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